Body Discomfort Due to Musculoskeletal Disorders among Dental Practitioners in Primary Healthcare Center in Bandung City

Abstract

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are one of the main occupational health hazards affecting dental practitioners and result in discomfort, pain, and illness that can result in disruption or impairment of dental practice. The objective of this study is to discover the description of MSD among dental practitioners at the Primary Healthcare Center (Puskesmas) in Bandung City. This descriptive study was conducted using a cross-sectional survey. The study sample consisted of 27 dentists (23 females and 4 males) working at the Primary Healthcare Center in Bandung City who were asked to fill out the Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire. The study showed that the type of discomfort most commonly experienced was sore muscles (57.5%), with the highest number of complaints in the axial region affecting the lower back (41.4%), in the upper limb region specifically the right shoulder (8.3%), and in lower limb region specifically the right knee (0.53%). It was concluded that dentists at the Primary Healthcare Center in Bandung experienced sore muscles due to MSD and most cases of MSD involved the lower back, the right shoulder, and the right knee.